Clothes-drier



(No Model.)

B. J. RITTERHOUSE GLOTHES DRIER. I No. 391,191. Patented Oct. 16,1888.

UNITED STATES ATENT Prion.

ERNEST J. RITTERHOUSE, OF BRIGHT'WOOD, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

CLOTHES-DRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 391,191, dated October16, 888.

Application filed May 1, 1888. Serial No. 272,419.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I ,ERNEST J. RITTERHOUsE, a citizen ofthe UnitedStates, residing at Brightwood, in the District of Columbia, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Clothes-Driers; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichitappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to that class ofelothesdriers for indoor use inwhich a folding portable frame has a series of rungs or rods on whichthe clothes to be dried or aired are hung; and it has for its object toprovide a clothes drier of this class on which may be hung a largequantity of clothes without the drier itself occupying a large amount ofspace, and which may be easily and compactly folded for storage ortransportation; and it consists of the parts and combinations of partshereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a perspective View of my improved elothesdrier; Fig. 2, alike view showing the drier folded, and Fig. 3 a detail perspectiveview.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in all the views.

A represents the standards, which arejoined' together in pairs at theirupper ends by hinges a, so that when they are opened or drawn apartattheir lower ends they will form invertedV- shaped supports. Inthesestandards are formed perforations at suitable intervals apart, intowhich the ends of rods B on which the clothes are to be hung, areinserted and secured in a suitable manner, that shown being screws ornails Z), driven into the edges of the standards and into the ends ofthe rods, although the rods may be so tightly forced into theperforations as not to require any other fastening device, if sodesired.

0 represents arms on one side of the frame, through the ends of whichthe rods B pass, these arms being located near the ends of the rods justinside and against the sides of the standards, while on the other sidearms 0 are secured in a like manner, excepting that they do not abutagainst the standards, but have a (X0 model.)

washer, 0, between them and the standards. This washer may be a separatepiece from the arms, or they may be formed on the latter at one end. Theobject of this construction is to enable the arms 0 to fall in placebetween the standards and the arms 0 when the frame is folded. At theupper ends of the arms 0 Oa perforation is formed, into which the rods Denter, thusjoining the upper ends of said arms together, so that theywork as on a hinge. It will be noticed that there are four bars on eachside in this instance, which pass through the standards, and that thereare a corresponding number of rods, D, passing through the upper ends ofarms 0 C, said rods D being located one above the other in the center ofthe frame, so that when the device is opened or in position for use theywill form, in connection with the next two rods, B, below, aninverted-V-shaped frame or rack for the reception of the clothes, thisbeing accomplished by making the lowermost arms on each side of thegreatest length and the others forming the frame gradually decreasing inlength to the top. This applies to all the rods B and D, excepting theset next below the top, in which the arms E are shorter than any of theothers, so that when the frame is spread, as in Fig. 1, they willproject directly across the frame in a horizontal position and form abrace to hold the standards apart, but which, when the frame is folded,assume a position similar to the other arms 0 G.

F represents brace-rods extending from near the foot of the standards tothe bottom rods, B.

One of the advantages of this construction of the drier is that theheavier the center rods, D, are loaded with clothing the greater therigidity imparted to the entire machine and the better the standards Awill be kept apart, as the weight on the rods forces the arms 0 Ooutwardly, and of course the standards, and at the same time straightensthe arms E, forming a brace to hold said standards apart. All that it isnecessary to do to close or fold the frame is to raise or lower the rodD, pivoted in the arms E, when the standards will be drawn together, asindicated in Fig. 2. Thus it will be seen that my clothes-drier providesa great amount of space within a narrow compass, and that it can beeasily folded when not in use.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The hereinbefore-described clothes drier, consisting of the standardshinged together at their upper ends, the rods B, secured at their endsin said standards, the arms 0 O, gradually decreasing in length, pivotedat one end to said rods, rods D, pivoted in the ends of said arms, thewashers interposed between the arms 0 and the contiguous standard, thebrace-arms E, and the brace-rods F, connecting the lowermost rod B tothe standards, substantially as described.

2. Thecombination, in a clothes drier ofthe type described, with thestandards and the rods B, of the arms 0 O, pivoted to said rods, the

rods D, pivoted to said arms, the washers interposed between said armsand standards,and the short arms adapted to straighten or assume ahorizontal position when the standards are pulled apart, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

I ERNEST J. RIT'IERHOUSE. Witnesses: .J. A. HINSON,

PHILIP MAURO.

